Blame Kevin Lowe? No, it was Pronger who started the mess in Edmonton, argues Peter Adler

Now that the passions might have settled a bit, why not try a look that’s more realistic? Some would say it’s cynical, but then again, some don’t like hearing the bitter truth.

And the bitter truth is simple: in relieving Steve Tambellini of his general managerial duties, the Edmonton Oilers (and their hockey operations poohbah Kevin Lowe) gave in to the perfectly uninformed demands of the fandom, as egged on by several hockey writers, some of them known as people who chased several players out of town (Jason Arnott anyone? Tom Poti? Eric Brewer?)

No, this is NOT supposed to criticize Lowe, or his choice for Tambellini’s replacement, Craig MacTavish. This is NOT to criticize Scott Howson’s hiring. And this is NOT to defend Tambellini’s record, either.

This is supposed to offer a bit of an analysis, based on a bit of background information.

The mess to which intrepid colleague John MacKinnon referred to in his provocative question during the news conference announcing the changes was not entirely of Lowe’s doing.

If you care to go back, before the 2004-2005 lockout, the Edmonton Oilers were basically limited to serving as a richer teams’ farm club, finding and developing talent, only to see it go once their original contracts expired.

In 2006, they got within one measly goal of the Stanley Cup (the empty-net goal at the end of the seventh game exempted). Then Chris Pronger demanded a trade.

Pronger (and his wife) had six million reasons a season to be madly in love with Edmonton, but he chose to be unprofessional.

His presence and, subsequently, his absence not only poisoned the atmosphere in the Oilers’ dressing room, it also poisoned the atmosphere surrounding the club throughout the league. Free agents the team would approach during those years would be turning Oilers’ offers down, no matter how good those offers would be. Some of those players would be polite, others not so much (Dany Heatley, anyone? Or Michael Nylander, perhaps?).

As an aside, Pronger would help the Anaheim Ducks win the Stanley Cup next season after his departure from Edmonton. Speaking of which, it was a Ducks’ team put together by today’s Ottawa Senators GM, Bryan Murray, that won. Then-GM Brian Burke’s only achievement was he picked Pronger who, to put it mildly, fell into his lap.

To continue with this aside: today’s Columbus Blue Jackets, yes, the team that has been beating some star-studded clubs lately, have been assembled by Scott Howson. This should remind those who yell bloody murder because the Oilers had the gall to go and bring Howson back into their fold.

Anyhow, in professional entertainment business (and professional hockey is nothing but that), it’s all about perception.

And the perception is: it’s that old boys’ club all over again, these are the guys that have got us nowhere, and where are they going to take us now?

What’s wrong with the motto that hangs in the club’s dressing room, listing all former Oilers, with the years when they wore Oiler silks attached? It says: once an Oiler, always an Oiler. Anything wrong with that? Nothing wrong with that, it says in this corner.

Some have criticized Tambellini for the lack of bold trades and other changes. One of the issues is this: fans can be demanding that their club gets this or that player, but even if they happen to be correct and said player might be of help, it still doesn’t mean that such a player is available. Or, he might be available, but for a price no sane general manager would be willing to pay. Or, he might be available, but he’s got a no-trade or no-movement clause, and when asked by his general manager whether he would agree to move to Edmonton, he rejects the move (whether it’s the old Pronger syndrome still in action or not is irrelevant, it’s the fact the player wouldn’t agree to come that counts).

It’s perfectly understandable that Tambellini wouldn’t mention any of it in public. It would make no business sense to tell anyone who cares to listen which players he feels might be redundant in Edmonton, and who the Oilers think might help their cause. That would help their competition, in the first place, something no self-respecting general manager would permit. Come to think of it, for crying out loud, teams wouldn’t even reveal what happened when a player is injured. It’s upper body or lower body, at best, and nothing beyond that. Besides, what will it do to a player’s morale if he hears, and hears it officially, to boot, that his club is willing to send him away, and then, if the trade falls through, here he is, not knowing whether to weep or laugh?

So, the criticism of Tambellini’s alleged indecision is not really valid. It’s based on unsubstantiated assumptions.

Which brings us to Tambellini’s replacement, Craig MacTavish.

To begin with, as Lowe stated during the news conference Monday, Tambellini did NOT fire MacTavish four years ago. MacTavish simply felt – rightly or wrongly – that it was time to go. As a man of principle he did what he believed in.

Again, if you care to remember, there were even attempts at public demonstrations demanding MacTavish’s head on a platter. A personal observation: I went to see the demonstration that was supposed to take place right in front of Rexall Place. What a sorry bunch of about a dozen loudmouths it was! And yet, they got headlines. Does this require any comment?

Anyhow, MacTavish left, and he landed on both feet. Not only did he get back to coaching (in the AHL, yes), but he also went and obtained an MBA from Queens University. It’s not so easy to earn a title like this, and the fact he went to get it in the first place, and won it, too, shows we’re talking about a man who knows his priorities, is capable of fulfilling his dreams and is aware of the fact that learning a few new tricks never hurts. Some call him Silver Fox. I’m not so sure about that. Fox is a smart animal, no doubt about that. But MacTavish is an intelligent human being, and there’s a difference.

Of course, whether it was too smart on his part to announce he was an impatient kind of guy, that would be another question. Especially in a world where negotiations seem to take most of the guy’s time, and where the other side notices and picks up everything, including such seemingly innocent admissions, to use them as negotiating tools today or years hence.

Still, Tambellini has become a victim of circumstances. He’s too good to remain out of work too long.

That Lowe turned to MacTavish without even bothering to talk to anybody else, that makes perfect sense, too. The two know each other, they both bleed copper and blue, and they both know what it takes to win.

It might be a good idea to forget about perception for once, no matter how tempting it is to indulge, and give the new management a chance to prove what they’re capable of.

Whether they surprise us pleasantly or not, now, that remains an open question. But that’s how it usually is in life.

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